


Carve It Into Your Soul

by makkurataichou



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, Sculptor AU, that's the only tag I've got pls enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 02:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12223998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makkurataichou/pseuds/makkurataichou
Summary: After weeks of sculpting assignments, Sorey finally hits artist's block and is encouraged to draw inspiration from someone close to him.His first choice? Mikleo.





	Carve It Into Your Soul

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aruarudayo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aruarudayo/gifts).



> FINALLY FINISHED ARU'S BIRTHDAY GIFT A MONTH LATE ORZ HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY ARU HERE IS SCULPTOR AU
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this extremely self-indulgent AU that we came up with after discussing the fact that some art students get really buff carrying sculptures across campus.

Sorey couldn't quite remember why he'd picked sculpting as an elective at the start of his second year at the University of Hyland. All he could remember was falling asleep in the library one day, elective sheet in hand, and waking up to see “Sculpting Techniques” neatly circled on it in green ink. He didn't know who had done it and what their intentions had been, but he’d ended up taking the class on a whim and found that he had a certain knack for sculpting. Before the end of the semester, he'd already decided that he wanted to take another class.

Now, however, he was almost starting to regret that decision.

It wasn't that he disliked the classes—his professor Eizen was extremely knowledgeable and had a sharp eye for technique. Rather, it was his final project that had him completely stumped. Every student was required to create a sculpture that would be put on display in a themed environment, and said environment this year was the Spiritcrest—a towering mountain that was several hundreds of years old and home to all kinds of secrets. Maze-like passages, ancient carvings, hidden treasures...their professor’s eyes had lit up as he'd spoken about it, and Sorey with his intense passion for history had found himself completely enthralled as well.

At least, until he’d walked out of the class and realized he had no idea what he wanted to make.

It clearly wasn't an easy assignment. He heard his classmates grumbling about it as they walked past him, saying things like “last year’s class had it way easier” and “how much research they'd have to do” and it did nothing to improve his confidence. Even his love for the source material didn't seem to inspire him, and when he met up with his friends for lunch they could see his frustration written all over his face.

“Looks like one of my brother’s assignments finally got to you,” Edna observed with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips. “I wish I hadn't had to watch him work on it. He's convinced he can make a small-scale replica of the Spiritcrest in thirteen weeks.”

Sorey buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know why it's bothering me so much. Usually I'd just make a treasure chest or an amulet or something, but I don't feel like it at all. Everything's too...simple.”

Rose raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Has our local sculptor finally hit artist’s block? Can't say I'm surprised with the way you sped through your last set of assignments, though. You must be spent.”

Sorey just groaned in response. “It's so dumb. Inspiration is dumb.” He unfolded his arms and looked down at his food. “I have to start working right away though, or I won't get done in time.”

Beside him, Mikleo placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an understanding look. “Art is hard, Sorey. Don't push yourself to make something perfect in your first try. You have time.”

The soft smile Mikleo gave him never failed to make his heart skip a beat, but before he even had a chance to respond, Edna cut in with a scoff. “Says the person who spent weeks on that ridiculous belt corset last year,” she deadpanned. “What was it again? ‘I need at least eight belts before I’m satisfied’?”

The silver-haired boy shot her a glare. “I’ll have you know I eventually went with twelve,” he huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “ _ And  _ I got a great grade.”

“Yeah, and it took you three hours to get out of that thing,” Rose added, smirking into her palm. “If Sorey hadn’t found you struggling, you wouldn’t have made it to your next class in time.”

“That’s not important!” Mikleo’s face was entirely red now, even as he glanced at Sorey, his expression going from indignated to bashful in a span of a few seconds. “N-not that I wasn’t grateful, of course,” he added, sounding apologetic. “What I mean still stands though...iteration is good, but trying different things is also good.”

Sorey looked down at his plate. “I guess so.”

“If you want, we can check the library for books on the Spiritcrest after school,” Mikleo offered. “Maybe it’ll give you more options to consider.”

At that, Sorey brightened up. Any excuse to visit the library was great, and an excuse to visit it with Mikleo was even better. “Let’s do it!” he exclaimed.

Both Rose and Edna sighed in unison.  _ ‘They’re so much harder to tease when they're like this.’ _

* * *

The trip to the library only served to confuse Sorey more. As it turned out, the Spiritcrest was also filled with shrines dedicated to deities called seraphim that had been worshipped by the people of Glenwood several centuries ago. Unfortunately, people had lost the ability to see seraphim, and so not many visual records remained. All he and Mikleo had found were records describing the seraphim and their “unparalleled beauty”, which was interesting but did nothing to jog Sorey’s inspiration.

The next day, after his Glenwood History class let out, he lingered by the door and waited for everyone to leave before going up to his professor. If anyone knew  _ anything  _ about old deities and shrines, it was professor Lailah—she was one of the most well-traveled people he knew, aside from professor Eizen and Mikleo's uncle Michael. Plus, if anything, she was also a great counselor.

“Professor Lailah?” he began hesitantly, waiting until he had her attention before continuing. “Do you know anything about seraphim?”

Lailah gave him a kind smile. “I do! They were said to be pure humans reborn after death...almost like ghosts.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “They could also bestow blessings on the land, which was why people worshipped them.”

“Is that why there were so many shrines on the Spiritcrest?” Sorey leaned forward. “Was it blessed by a lot of seraphim?”

At that, her smile turned sympathetic. “Actually, the Spiritcrest was a place where a lot of seraphim died. Those shrines may have been graves.”

Sorey’s shoulders slumped. “That's terrible...I can't sculpt something that sad…”

“Sculpt? Is this for Eizen’s class?”

He nodded. “Yeah...I've been looking for inspiration, but I haven't been able to find any.” Leaning against a nearby wall, he sighed. “So this is what artist’s block feels like.”

Lailah let out a soft laugh. “Sometimes inspiration can come in interesting ways. Have you tried drawing it from the people around you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Not  _ all  _ of those shrines were graves.” She gave him a wink. “You were considering sculpting a seraph, right? Maybe all you need is to find your muse. A person who inspires you...someone you have strong feelings for.”

_ ‘Strong feelings…’ _ Sorey both loved and hated the fact that his thoughts jumped immediately to Mikleo. They'd been best friends forever, and he'd  _ definitely _ been harbouring some strong feelings for Mikleo for a large portion of that time. But the thought of sculpting Mikleo as he would look as a seraph...those high cheekbones and narrow chin...those gentle eyes that could pierce right through his heart...not to mention that long hair, always so seemingly soft and tempting to run his hands through…

It was in that moment that Sorey realized that he'd spent enough of his adolescent years observing Mikleo to know that he would look just as gorgeous as a seraph as he did in real life. And it was  _ also _ in that moment that Sorey decided that he wanted to prove it to everyone else.

That day, Mikleo became Sorey's first and only muse.

 

* * *

Pretty much everyone at their university noticed when Sorey suddenly began carrying supplies to and from the art building between classes. Many of his classmates assumed it was some kind of training exercise—only Lailah knew what it was really for, and she'd given him the key to a large store room on the third floor where he could work uninterrupted. Every now and then she would drop by to check up on him and offer words of encouragement when he hit a roadblock, and today was one of those days.

“I just can't get his eyes right,” he complained from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, pointing at his latest sculpture with chisel in hand. “Mikleo's eyes are so much more… _ more. _ ”

Lailah placed a hand over her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. “Looks like this one was a  _ bust _ , huh?” she offered, her eyes twinkling with mirth when she got a low groan in response. “Keep trying, I know you'll get it eventually!”

“I don't have that kind of time,” Sorey whined, tilting his head back so he could stare blankly at the ceiling. “Maybe I need more reference pictures—”

“Sorey! What the hell is this?!”

Sorey jumped to his feet at the sound of the familiar voice. “R-Rose!” he exclaimed, finally noticing the redhead standing in the doorway, a mortified look on her face. “What...how did you—”

“Sorey,” she cut in, clearly making an effort to keep her voice level. “Why do you have a room in the art building filled with pictures of Mikleo?”

He grimaced. “I can explain,” he began weakly. “Just don't...don't tell Mikleo, okay?”

Rose raised an eyebrow as Sorey began to explain his art project and the fact that he was a very mobile artist—he needed to put pictures of Mikleo everywhere so he could always see his references, no matter where he was standing. By the end of his explanation, Rose was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed against her chest.

“So. You decided to turn your boyfriend into your art project.”

“He's not my...yeah, if you'll take that as my answer.” Sorey's cheeks flared up as he focused on the floor instead of looking her in the eye. “You won't tell him, will you?”

He heard her sigh. “When do you plan on telling him then? It's not like you can hide it once the installation goes up.”

Sorey shook his head. “I won't. I'll invite him there and show it to him...and I'll confess my feelings for him then, too.”

Lailah clapped her hands over her mouth and whispered a soft “oh my” while Rose’s eyes grew wide. “You sure about that, Sorey? Those are bold words from someone who's been hiding his feelings since middle school.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I just needed an opportunity, and now I've got one. I'm willing to take it this time, Rose, just as long as my sculpture turns out perfect.”

Rose sighed dramatically and smiled right back. “Well, if you and Mikleo are anything alike, don't get trapped in a plaster mould or anything. I won't be responsible for chiseling you out.”

Sorey grinned sheepishly. “You got it.”

* * *

Ten weeks passed, and Sorey was sure he was starting to lose it.

He'd made dozens of sculptures by now, some small, some larger than expected, but none of them had turned out exactly how he'd wanted them to. He could feel himself growing closer while also drifting just out of reach of the perfect image of Mikleo, but whenever he worked between classes he could practically  _ feel _ everyone's stares on him as he walked through the hallways, even when he wasn't lugging supplies around. It started to put him on edge, and he eventually decided to start staying late to work after school hours instead.

Mikleo gave him a concerned look the first day he brought it up. “Are you sure you'll be alright, Sorey?” he asked, bringing his hands up to fix Sorey's sleeve where it was folded in the wrong places. “If you'd like, I can stay late too, and we can walk together—”

“No!” Sorey yelled loudly, and everyone within a four foot radius turned to look at him, confused. “N-no,” he repeated quietly when Mikleo raised an eyebrow. “I don't want to keep you too late either. This is a campus town, so I'll be alright walking back alone, I swear.”

“If you're sure…” Mikleo didn't look entirely convinced as he twirled a strand of long hair between his fingers, and Sorey thought he looked stunning against the setting sun. “Call me if you change your mind though. I can borrow my uncle’s car and come pick you up.”

Sorey nodded. “I'll be fine, though!” he insisted, placing his hands behind his head. “Don't worry about me.”

* * *

Hardly a week into his new routine, however, Sorey was not fine at all. He was working at an inhuman rate of an entire sculpture a day and sleeping only a few hours every night.. His collection of imperfect Mikleos grew larger and larger, but he still refused to stop until he had at least one down to every last detail.

Suddenly, Sorey's eyes shot open, and he couldn't remember when he'd closed them in the first place. An unfamiliar ceiling came into focus, along with the feeling of hardwood under his back, and that was when he realized he wasn't at home.

His head began to spin.  _ ‘Where am I? What time is it? Did I fall asleep?’ _

He sat up and found himself surrounded by plaster figures staring at him intently in the dim moonlight that filtered through the windows. Sorey was suddenly and inexplicably terrified. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, going against all rational thought as he dialed his best friend’s number.

“...hello?” The voice on the other end was thick with sleep. “Sorey? Is something wrong?”

“M-Mikleo…” he stammered, his mind still too fuzzy to string a sentence together. “I'm scared, Mikleo, there's like twenty of you, maybe thirty by now…”

He heard the sound of bedsprings creaking over the phone. “Sorey? You're not making any sense. Did you have a nightmare?”

Sorey shook his head wildly, even though he knew Mikleo couldn't see it. “I-I just woke up, and it's dark, and I've been here for hours and I don't remember passing out—”

“Been where?” Mikleo's voice sounded urgent now. “Where are you? Are...are you still at school?!”

“Y-yeah...in the art building. I was working on—”

In that moment, Sorey cut himself off, realizing exactly who he was talking to. Mikleo, whose face was on every single sculpture surrounding him. If he found out how many attempts Sorey had gone through...how borderline  _ creepy  _ this whole project was...there was no telling how he'd react. 

There was silence on the other end. Then: “Sorey, I'm coming to pick you up. Wait for me.”

Sorey jolted completely awake. “W-wait, Mikleo, don't—” he began, but it was too late—Mikleo had already ended the call, and he would probably be there in less than ten minutes. His project would be exposed, Mikleo would be either disgusted or mortified (or a combination of both), and it would be the end of their eighteen-year friendship.

And all Sorey could do was wait.

* * *

In his panicked haze, Sorey didn't realize how quickly Mikleo would get to school until he heard the distant sound of the art building door being opened and a shout of his name. Scrambling to his feet, he ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. 

“I'll be downstairs in a minute,” he called back in a last-ditch attempt to keep his project a secret.

“I'm coming up there, Sorey,” came the response, and Sorey’s shoulders slumped. Maybe if he locked up the classroom and met Mikleo halfway…

“Sorey.”

He started. Mikleo was already there, standing in front of him. He was still wearing his pyjamas, his long, pale hair glowing in the moonlight. His arms were crossed across his chest and there was a small pout tugging at his bottom lip, and Sorey wondered how he could possibly fall more in love with his best friend every single day.

“M-Mikleo,” he replied, trying to keep his expression neutral. “Thanks for coming to pick me up.”

Mikleo shook his head. “It was no trouble. Although,” he wondered aloud, leaning slightly to glance at the door behind Sorey, “didn't you have a bag with you when you got to school today?”

Sorey slapped himself inwardly. He'd left his bag in the room. “I, uh...I can just get it tomorrow,” he concluded, meeting Mikleo’s incredibly suspicious gaze. “Let's just go home, it's late, isn't it?”

To his surprise, Mikleo let out a sigh. “Okay, Sorey, I'm going to be honest. You've been working on this project for months now and you haven't showed me what it is.” He raised an eyebrow. “What gives?”

Sorey blanched. “I-I-I wanted to keep it a secret!”

“From me?” Mikleo’s eyebrow shot up even higher, if that was even physically possible. “Even though professor Lailah and Rose got to see it?”

_ ‘Rose...I'm gonna get her back for this.’ _  “Rose seeing it was an accident, and she wasn't supposed to tell anyone,” he said through gritted teeth. “Professor Lailah though...she's been helping me.”

“So it's a historical artifact?” Mikleo’s eyes lit up instantly. “Come on, Sorey, we don't hide history projects from each other. Can't I take a look?”

The excitement in Mikleo's eyes was too endearing to ignore. Sorey couldn't say no to those pleading violet eyes, even though he knew that he'd only be letting Mikleo down when he finally saw what was inside. 

“...okay,” Sorey breathed. “You can look, but you'll probably be disappointed...and maybe creeped out, and maybe you'll never want to talk to me again.”

“Sorey, what in the world would make me never want to talk to you again?” Mikleo frowned. “We tell each other everything. You've got nothing to worry about.”

_ ‘Oh, just wait for it, Mikleo,’ _ Sorey thought to himself, flinching as he unlocked the door and opened it for Mikleo to enter.  _ ‘You have no idea what you're in for.’ _

Hardly a few moments after stepping into the room, Mikleo went completely silent. Sorey waited and waited, but he didn't move a single muscle, causing the pit in the brunet’s stomach to grow larger and larger. Finally, when he couldn't take the silence any longer, he brushed past Mikleo and went to grab his bag.

“I can explain,” he breathed, not daring to look back at his best friend’s face. “It's for my installation project.”

“These...these are all of me,” Mikleo finally muttered, and Sorey couldn't quite place the tone of his voice—was he angry? Disgusted? Outright concerned for Sorey’s sanity?

Still too afraid to turn back, Sorey nodded. “Professor Lailah suggested that I find a...a muse,” he admitted softly, “since I didn't have any inspiration—”

“A _ muse _ ?” Mikleo’s voice was definitely higher now, and louder, too. “You...chose  _ me _ for inspiration?”

Sorey swallowed and nodded again. “I-I mean...you've always inspired me, ever since we were kids, and I thought you'd make a great model for a seraph’s shrine.”

He finally chanced a look over his shoulder, and to his surprise, Mikleo's eyes were wide, his gaze almost reverent. “You...think I would make a good seraph?”

“I mean, why not?” Sorey shrugged and turned around so he could face Mikleo fully, suddenly bashful. “You're gorgeous, after all,” he added in a breathy whisper.

He saw Mikleo's breath catch in his throat, and all at once he was too embarrassed to look Mikleo in the eye anymore. He clasped his hands together and glanced at his feet.

“If you want me to, I can get rid of them and start over…”

Then, Mikleo was moving towards him, placing warm, gentle hands on his shoulder. “No, Sorey, I don't want you to get rid of them,” he insisted, tilting his head so he could meet Sorey’s eyes. “They...they’re beautiful, and I _... _ is this really how you see me?”

“Yeah,” Sorey replied without hesitation. “Everything you do, everything you are...you're stunning, Mikleo.” He let out a long breath, steeling himself before continuing. “Everything you do makes me love you more than I already do.”

This time, he heard Mikleo's breath hitch before he saw it. He watched as Mikleo bit his lip and averted his gaze, and felt his heart sink when Mikleo pulled his hands away.

Then, he felt a palm against his cheek, and before he knew it, Mikleo's lips were pressed against his other cheek, soft yet deliberate, and he felt his face grow extremely warm at the contact.

When Mikleo pulled away, he was blushing as well. “Whenever you do thoughtful things like this, Sorey, I just…” He wrung his hands together. “It makes  _ me _ love  _ you _ more.”

“You…” A wide grin spread across Sorey’s face. “You mean you like it? For real?”

“Yes, I do.” Mikleo smiled back. “I like it a lot.”

“A-and me? You like me, too?”

At that, Mikleo laughed softly. “Yes, Sorey, I like you a lot,” he confirmed, taking Sorey’s hand in his. “Now, let's go home before you end up even more stir-crazy than you already are right now.”

Sorey couldn’t keep the giddy smile off his face, even as Mikleo tugged him out of the room, down the stairs and out of the building. All he could think about was the warmth of Mikleo’s hand in his.

* * *

The project was a huge success. Professor Eizen gave Sorey a near-perfect score for his efforts, and it was placed at the center of the Spiritcrest exhibit. Rose, Edna, and Mikleo visited Sorey at the installation, and to Rose’s surprise, Mikleo didn't flinch in shock when he saw it; rather, he gave Sorey a wide grin and went over to lean against his side, twining their hands together. Rose didn't know when they'd managed to get so comfortable, but she held back and decided to tease them later. After all, they looked so in love, she figured she'd let them have their moment.

“Nice, Sorey!” Zaveid suddenly shouted from two exhibits over. “Are you gonna use Mikboy as a nude model next?”

Or not.


End file.
